Eric Westervelthttp://krcc.org
enSix Things We Learned At South By Southwest EDUhttp://krcc.org/post/six-things-we-learned-south-southwest-edu
The NPR Ed team is back from Austin, where we connected with hundreds of educators and people excited about education at the annual South By Southwest Edu Conference. As with many conferences, there's just as much to be gained from conversations in the hallways and chance encounters as from the official sessions.Sun, 15 Mar 2015 13:03:00 +0000Eric Westervelt32078 at http://krcc.orgSix Things We Learned At South By Southwest EDUWhere Have All The Teachers Gone? http://krcc.org/post/where-have-all-teachers-gone
This is the canary in the coal mine.<p>Several big states have seen alarming drops in enrollment at teacher training programs. The numbers are grim among some of the nation's largest producers of new teachers: In California, enrollment is down 53 percent over the past five years. It's down sharply in New York and Texas as well.<p>In North Carolina, enrollment is down nearly 20 percent in three years.<p>"The erosion is steady. That's a steady downward line on a graph.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 19:03:00 +0000Eric Westervelt31564 at http://krcc.orgWhere Have All The Teachers Gone? Behold The Humble Block! Tools Of The Trade http://krcc.org/post/behold-humble-block-tools-trade
For this series, we've been thinking a lot about the iconic tools that some of us remember using — if only for a short time — in our early schooling.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 08:34:00 +0000Eric Westervelt31542 at http://krcc.orgBehold The Humble Block! Tools Of The Trade Teaching The Holocaust: New Approaches For A New Generation http://krcc.org/post/teaching-holocaust-new-approaches-new-generation
<p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKfvlCmD3YM</p><p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ5uDDqnk2I</p>Sun, 01 Mar 2015 11:15:00 +0000Eric Westervelt31466 at http://krcc.orgTeaching The Holocaust: New Approaches For A New Generation Hoops By Day, Hops By Night: This Phys Ed Teacher's Got A Secret Brewhttp://krcc.org/post/secret-lives-teachers-whats-he-brewing-down-there
Listen up, cub reporters. Lesson 1: Never miss an opportunity to catch a good story. I was doing important hop research at my local craft beer emporium, aka my bar.<p>"This red IPA is great. What is this again?" I asked the bartender.<p>"That's Line 51. From Oakland. The owner, P.T., does it part time. He has a day job." What's he do? I asked. "He's a schoolteacher."<p>Bingo! Secret teachers, you can't hide from this NPR Ed sleuth, no sir.<p>For P.T. Lovern, brewing started as a college hobby and party necessity. Later, it turned into a weekend passion that rapidly veered toward obsession.Tue, 17 Feb 2015 15:06:00 +0000Eric Westervelt30942 at http://krcc.orgHoops By Day, Hops By Night: This Phys Ed Teacher's Got A Secret BrewQ&A: Blocks, Play, Screen Time And The Infant Mindhttp://krcc.org/post/qa-blocks-play-screen-time-and-infant-mind
Our "Tools of the Trade" series is taking a look at some of the iconic objects that form a vital part of our educational lives. For an upcoming piece, I'm reporting on how young children learn through that most basic of preschool education tools: simple wooden blocks.<p><strong>Dr. Dimitri Christakis </strong> has <a href="http://www.imaginationplayground.com/images/content/2/9/2965/Effect-of-Block-Play-On-Language-Acquisition.pdf">done extensive research</a> on blocks and play, and has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoT7qH_uVNo">lectured on media and children</a>.Thu, 12 Feb 2015 11:40:00 +0000Eric Westervelt30731 at http://krcc.orgQ&A: Blocks, Play, Screen Time And The Infant MindEgypt's Citizens Still Wait 'To Breathe Deep The Air Of Freedom'http://krcc.org/post/egypts-citizens-still-wait-breathe-deep-air-freedom
Amid all the holiday celebrations, you may have missed this story from overseas.<p>An Egyptian court announced a retrial for three journalists from Al Jazeera who have been languishing in jail for more than a year for the crime of reporting the news.Sat, 03 Jan 2015 17:16:00 +0000Eric Westervelt29016 at http://krcc.orgEgypt's Citizens Still Wait 'To Breathe Deep The Air Of Freedom'An Alternative To Suspension And Expulsion: 'Circle Up!'http://krcc.org/post/alternative-suspension-and-expulsion-circle
One by one, in a room just off the gym floor at Edna Brewer Middle School in Oakland, Calif., seventh-graders go on the interview hot seat.<p>Some 80 students have applied to be "peer leaders" in the school's new, alternative discipline program called "restorative justice."<p>Kyle McClerkins, the program's director, grills them on aspects of adolescent life: "What is the biggest challenge for middle school girls? What has changed about you from sixth grade to now?"<p>This school and the Oakland Unified School District are at the forefront of a new approach to school misconduct and discipline.Wed, 17 Dec 2014 08:42:00 +0000Eric Westervelt28328 at http://krcc.orgAn Alternative To Suspension And Expulsion: 'Circle Up!'Teach For America At 25: With Maturity, New Pressure To Changehttp://krcc.org/post/teach-america-25-maturity-new-pressure-change
<em>This story was reported for the radio by Eric Westervelt and for online by Anya Kamenetz.</em><p>"We, the Committee of Public Safety, find Jean Valjean guilty. The sentence is death by guillotine!"<p>Molly McPherson, a redhead with glasses, is dressed in a blue bathrobe — in costume as Robespierre.Mon, 01 Dec 2014 10:03:00 +0000Eric Westervelt27617 at http://krcc.orgTeach For America At 25: With Maturity, New Pressure To ChangeAre NOLA Schools Failing Students With Disabilities? http://krcc.org/post/are-nola-schools-failing-students-disabilities
In New Orleans, schools have long struggled to provide for students with physical, emotional and mental disabilities. Even before Hurricane Katrina, many parents had to fight for extra help. But many say things have only gotten harder since the city's public school district shifted almost entirely to charter schools.<p>Crystal Walker is a 34-year-old single mother of two boys, ages 7 and 9, and a 12-year-old daughter.Thu, 20 Nov 2014 08:46:00 +0000Eric Westervelt27213 at http://krcc.orgAre NOLA Schools Failing Students With Disabilities? Pythagoras' iPhone: Is Listening A Lost Classroom Art?http://krcc.org/post/pythagoras-iphone-listening-lost-classroom-art
Listen and learn, the saying goes.<p>But are students and teachers these days fully listening to each other?<p>What, exactly, is good listening, and why does it matter when it comes to learning?Fri, 07 Nov 2014 13:08:00 +0000Eric Westervelt26694 at http://krcc.orgPythagoras' iPhone: Is Listening A Lost Classroom Art?50 Great Teachers: Socrates, The Ancient World's Teaching Superstar http://krcc.org/post/50-great-teachers-socrates-ancient-worlds-teaching-superstar
Today, NPR Ed kicks off a yearlong series: 50 Great Teachers.<p>We're starting this celebration of teaching with Socrates, the superstar teacher of the ancient world. He was sentenced to death more than 2,400 years ago for "impiety" and "corrupting" the minds of the youth of Athens.<p>But Socrates' ideas helped form the foundation of Western philosophy and the scientific method of inquiry.Wed, 29 Oct 2014 09:00:00 +0000Eric Westervelt26286 at http://krcc.org50 Great Teachers: Socrates, The Ancient World's Teaching Superstar A New Orleans Charter School Marches To Its Own Tune http://krcc.org/post/new-orleans-charter-school-marches-its-own-tune
<em>This year, NPR Ed is <a href="http://apps.npr.org/the-end-of-neighborhood-schools/">reporting on</a> the dramatic changes in the New Orleans school system.</em><p>All startups face big hurdles. But when you're a startup school in one of America's poorest cities, without deep-pocket backers, the challenges are daunting.<p>Oscar Brown is a New Orleans native. He grew up in the Desire housing project, a little over a mile west of his current home in a neighborhood ravaged by the storm that struck nearly a decade ago.<p>"So right now you're in the Lower Ninth Ward," he says.Mon, 13 Oct 2014 07:23:00 +0000Eric Westervelt25683 at http://krcc.orgA New Orleans Charter School Marches To Its Own Tune Digital Natives, Except When It Comes To Textbooks http://krcc.org/post/digital-natives-except-when-it-comes-textbooks
The spiral of destruction.<p>We're not talking about instability in the Middle East or Ebola.<p>We're talking textbooks.<p>Yesterday on <em>All Things Considered,</em> our friends at Planet Money explored the rise in <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/10/09/354647112/how-college-students-battled-textbook-publishers-to-a-draw-in-3-graphs">college textbook costs</a>. One big reason for the increase: the Internet. It gave students a vibrant marketplace where they could buy and sell used textbooks. As a result, publishers sold fewer new books and steadily raised prices.Fri, 10 Oct 2014 20:38:00 +0000Eric Westervelt25610 at http://krcc.orgDigital Natives, Except When It Comes To Textbooks Q&A: Dana Goldstein, Author, 'The Teacher Wars'http://krcc.org/post/qa-dana-goldstein-author-teacher-wars
I recently came to the education beat after spending the better part of a decade as a foreign correspondent, mainly reporting on conflicts in the Middle East.<p>Shortly after turning in my Kevlar vest for chalk dust, I was struck by how intensely polarized the education reform debate is in America.Sat, 06 Sep 2014 12:43:00 +0000Eric Westervelt24297 at http://krcc.orgQ&A: Dana Goldstein, Author, 'The Teacher Wars'The Myth Of The Superstar Superintendent?http://krcc.org/post/myth-superstar-superintendent
At corporations, leadership matters. A lot. Think of the impact of the late Steve Jobs at Apple or Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg today, to name a couple.<p>CEOs often play a vital role in bolstering a company's performance, image and culture of success.Thu, 04 Sep 2014 14:13:00 +0000Eric Westervelt24202 at http://krcc.orgThe Myth Of The Superstar Superintendent?Lessons In Manhood: A Boys' School Turns Work Into Wondershttp://krcc.org/post/lessons-manhood-boys-school-turns-work-wonders
This summer, <em>All Things Considered </em>has been taking a look at the changing lives of <a href="http://www.npr.org/series/323986426/men-in-america">men in America</a>. And that means talking about how the country educates boys.<p>In Berkeley, Calif., a private, non-profit middle school called the East Bay School for Boys is trying to reimagine what it means to build confident young men.Sun, 27 Jul 2014 21:17:00 +0000Eric Westervelt22543 at http://krcc.orgLessons In Manhood: A Boys' School Turns Work Into WondersViolence Spikes Anew In Iraq, As Islamic State Looks To Expandhttp://krcc.org/post/violence-spikes-anew-iraq-islamic-state-looks-expand
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Violence+Spikes+Anew+In+Iraq%2C+As+Islamic+State+Looks+To+Expand&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA4MTA0MTU4MDEzMTUzMTc5MTI3ODBiZQ004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>ERIC WESTERVELT, HOST: <p>Thank's for joining us. It's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR West. I'm Eric Westervelt. Iraq is dealing with its worst crisis since American forces withdrew in 2011.Sun, 27 Jul 2014 21:14:00 +0000Eric Westervelt22538 at http://krcc.orgQ&A: A Union Leader On Tenure, Testing And The Common Corehttp://krcc.org/post/qa-union-leader-tenure-testing-and-common-core
The American Federation of Teachers <a href="http://aft.org/index.cfm">(AFT)</a> is holding its <a href="http://www.aft.org/convention/">annual convention</a> in Los Angeles through this weekend. For the AFT's more than 3,500 national delegates descending on LA, there is a lot on their plate and big challenges ahead for the nation's second-largest teachers union: <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/05/27/307755798/the-common-core-faq">the Common Core</a>, tenure and fierce debate about testing, to name a few.Fri, 11 Jul 2014 12:03:00 +0000Eric Westervelt21787 at http://krcc.orgQ&A: A Union Leader On Tenure, Testing And The Common CoreFrom Calif. Teachers, More Nuanced Views On Tenurehttp://krcc.org/post/calif-teachers-more-nuanced-views-tenure
In the weeks since a California judge overturned the state's rules governing teacher tenure, the political noise has only grown louder.Thu, 10 Jul 2014 12:03:00 +0000Eric Westervelt21720 at http://krcc.orgFrom Calif. Teachers, More Nuanced Views On TenureGiving Boys A Bigger Emotional Toolbox http://krcc.org/post/giving-boys-bigger-emotional-tool-box
<em>This story is part of the </em>"<a href="http://www.npr.org/series/323986426/men-in-america" target="_blank">Men In America</a>"<em> series on All Things Considered.</em><p>Is America's dominant "man up" ethos a hypermasculine cultural construct, a tenet rooted in biological gender difference or something in between?<p>Educator Ashanti Branch doesn't much care or, more accurately, doesn't have time to care.<p>He's too busy trying to make a difference in boys' lives.<p>Boys in American public schools are suspended from and drop out of school at higher rates than girls.Wed, 25 Jun 2014 20:15:00 +0000Eric Westervelt21039 at http://krcc.orgGiving Boys A Bigger Emotional Toolbox A High School Band Where Everyone's Voice Can Be Heardhttp://krcc.org/post/high-school-band-where-everyones-voice-can-be-heard
<em>(This is Part 2 of a two-part report. Read the full piece <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/06/11/320882414/ipads-allow-kids-with-challenges-to-play-in-high-schools-band">here</a>.)</em><p>On the surface, the PS 177 Technology Band looks like a typical high school orchestra. But there are two big differences. First, while they use traditional instruments, they also play iPads. And all of the band members have disabilities. Some have autism spectrum disorders.<p>"I'm Tobi Lakes. I'm 15 years old. I'm in ninth grade.Wed, 11 Jun 2014 21:03:00 +0000Eric Westervelt20368 at http://krcc.orgA High School Band Where Everyone's Voice Can Be HeardiPads Allow Kids With Challenges To Play In High School Bandhttp://krcc.org/post/ipads-allow-kids-challenges-play-high-school-band
Tablet computers and a creative teacher have helped open doors for some kids with serious learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. The P.S. 177 Technology Band is in Queens, N.Y. <div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=iPads+Allow+Kids+With+Challenges+To+Play+In+High+School+Band&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA1MzU5NTYzMDEyNzY2MjYxMzZjODE4NQ004)"/></div><p>Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:26:00 +0000Eric Westervelt20336 at http://krcc.orgiPads Allow Kids With Challenges To Play In High School's Bandhttp://krcc.org/post/ipads-allow-kids-challenges-play-high-schools-band
There's a steady stream of hype surrounding the pluses and pitfalls of classroom tablet computers. But for a growing number of special education students tablets and their apps are proving transformative. The tablets aren't merely novel and fun. With guidance from creative teachers, they are helping to deepen engagement, communication, and creativity.<p>In a typical red brick public school building in the Fresh Meadows section of Queens, New York, one creative and passionate music instructor is using tablet computers to help reach students with disabilities.Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:57:00 +0000Eric Westervelt20331 at http://krcc.orgiPads Allow Kids With Challenges To Play In High School's BandCalifornia Teacher Tenure Ruled Unconstitutionalhttp://krcc.org/post/california-teacher-tenure-ruled-unconstitutional
A California judge today ruled the state's laws governing teacher tenure and the firing of public school teachers unconstitutional, saying they interfere with the state's obligation to provide every child with access to a good education.<p>The plaintiffs in the case, <em>Vergara v. California</em>, argued that the tenure system for public school teachers in California verges on the absurd, and that those laws disproportionately harm poor and minority students. In his ruling, Judge Rolf M.Tue, 10 Jun 2014 20:13:00 +0000Eric Westervelt20303 at http://krcc.orgCalifornia Teacher Tenure Ruled UnconstitutionalAs More Speakers Get The Boot, Who's Left To Send Off Graduates?http://krcc.org/post/student-protests-force-string-commencement-speaker-shake-ups
Graduation Season?Wed, 14 May 2014 20:00:00 +0000Eric Westervelt19065 at http://krcc.orgAs More Speakers Get The Boot, Who's Left To Send Off Graduates?In Tulsa, Combining Preschool With Help For Parentshttp://krcc.org/post/tulsa-combining-preschool-help-parents
At preschools in Tulsa, Okla., teachers are well-educated and well-paid, and classrooms are focused on play, but are still challenging. One nonprofit in Tulsa, the Community Action Project, has flipped the script on preschool. The idea behind its Career Advance program is simple: To help kids, the group believes, you often have to help their parents.<p>The program combines Head Start for children with intensive training for their parents, designed to help them find well-paying jobs.Wed, 23 Apr 2014 09:23:00 +0000Eric Westervelt18085 at http://krcc.orgIn Tulsa, Combining Preschool With Help For ParentsOne Approach To Head Start: To Help Kids, Help Their Parents http://krcc.org/post/one-approach-head-start-help-kids-help-their-parents
President Obama has called repeatedly on Congress to help states pay for "high-quality preschool" for all. In fact, those two words — "high quality" — appear time and again in the president's prepared remarks. They are also a refrain among early childhood education advocates and researchers. But what do they mean? And what separates the best of the nation's preschool programs from the rest?<p>NPR found one answer to those questions in Tulsa, Okla. The city is known as a national leader in early childhood education.Wed, 23 Apr 2014 09:03:00 +0000Eric Westervelt18086 at http://krcc.orgOne Approach To Head Start: To Help Kids, Help Their Parents Maze Of College Costs And Aid Programs Traps Some Familieshttp://krcc.org/post/maze-college-costs-and-aid-programs-trap-some-families
In the past 20 years, the average burden for a four-year college graduate in the U.S. has gone from about $9,000 to nearly $30,000 today. The percentage of students carrying debt has shot up from less than half to nearly 70 percent these days.<p>At a large public high school in Freemont, Calif., southeast of San Francisco, Alyssa Tucker and Thao Le sit on a metal table. Both come from families with modest incomes.<p>Both are 17 and facing college this fall with anxious excitement.Tue, 25 Mar 2014 09:11:00 +0000Eric Westervelt16747 at http://krcc.orgMaze Of College Costs And Aid Programs Traps Some FamiliesCollege Applicants Sweat The SATs. Perhaps They Shouldn'thttp://krcc.org/post/college-applicants-sweat-sats-perhaps-they-shouldnt
With spring fast approaching, many American high school seniors are now waiting anxiously to hear whether they got into the college or university of their choice. For many students, their scores on the SAT or the ACT will play a big role in where they get in.<p>That's because those standardized tests remain a central part in determining which students get accepted at many schools.Tue, 18 Feb 2014 08:29:00 +0000Eric Westervelt15249 at http://krcc.orgCollege Applicants Sweat The SATs. Perhaps They Shouldn't